Genny Lim, Kitty Tsui and Nellie Wong w/Bill Crossman on piano

May 15 @ 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

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Nellie Wong was born and raised in Oakland. A long-time activist for radical social change and a retired office worker, Nellie was honored by Oakland High School with a building in her name. She is the author of four poetry books: Dreams in Harrison Railroad Park, The Death of Long Steam Lady, Stolen Moments and Breakfast Lunch Dinner. She is co-featured in the documentary film, “Mitsuye and Nellie Asian American Poets,” by Allie Light and Irving Sarah. Genny Lim is San Francisco Jazz Poet Laureate. She has been featured at Jazz Festivals and World Poetry Festivals in the U.S. and around the world. Her award-winning play “Paper Angels,” was the first Asian American play to be aired on PBS’s American. Lim’s performance piece, “Don’t Shoot! A Requiem in Black,” dedicated to Black Lives Matter, recently premiered at Safe House. She is author of five poetry collections and co-author of the seminal, Island: Poetry and History of Chinese Immigrants on Angel Island. Kitty Tsui’s WORDS OF A WOMAN WHO BREATHES FIRE was the first book by a Chinese American lesbian; her second BREATHLESS – EROTICA won the Firecracker Alternative Book Award. WORDS OF A WOMAN WHO BREATHES FIRE will be out as a Sapphic Classic along with new poems from NICE CHINESE GIRLS DON’T in July, 2019. Bill Crossman is a pianist, composer, human rights activist, philosopher/educator, poet, playwright, and author. As a pianist, Crossman’s specialty is free jazz/free improvisation. His musically improvised “John Brown’s Truth” musical premiered at the 2009 International Society of Improvised Music Festival at UC Santa Cruz, and has since been performed throughout northern California and in New York City.

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